Thesis: We all need to take the risk and stand up for
those around us that need it.
Question: Why do Chazal find an obscure word by the
generation of Noach as the place to hint to Moshe Rabeinu?
Answer: Moshe and Noach had the same dilemma, except
that Moshe stood up for those around him while Noach did not. Chazal parallel
the two stories to show the consequences of not standing up.
Have you ever watched a TV show or movie and all of a
sudden, a character you though was dead comes back. For example, Captain
Barbosa in Pirates of the Caribbean, or Neo in The Matrix.
If I had to ask you for one character that makes a hidden
appearance in this week’s parsha that no one would expect, who would it be?
Let’s try Moshe Rabbeinu. I see some expressions of confusion and disbelief as
you would be correct that his name doesn’t explicitly appear in Parshas Noach.
However, the Gemara in Chullin 139b has an interesting question:
משה
מן התורה מנין (בראשית ו, ג) בשגם הוא בשר
This comes from the
passuk
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ְה לֹֽא־יָד֨וֹן רוּחִ֤י בָֽאָדָם֙
לְעֹלָ֔ם בְּשַׁגַּ֖ם ה֣וּא בָשָׂ֑ר וְהָי֣וּ יָמָ֔יו מֵאָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֖ים
שָׁנָֽה׃
Hashem said, “My breath shall not abide in humankind
forever, since it too is flesh; let the days allowed them be one hundred and
twenty years.”
Moshe is hinted to really at the end of last week’s parsha,
but to describe the people of the generation of Noach. The Torah says that
Hashem became warry of people and decided to limit their life to 120 years –
which happens to be the same length as Moshe’s life. The hint to Moshe is in
the word beshegam which is the gematria of Moshe – 345.
The question in the Gemara is very troubling. Where is
Moshe? I’ll show you! Literally anywhere but this book! His name is probably
the most used word in the Torah! The gemara continues and finds hints to
Mordechai and Haman in the Torah – that I understand since they lived thousands
of years later. But Moshe is the main protagonist of the book! Additionally, if
you want to find an obscure place, why is the gemara using this specific
location?!
I think the answer lies in the parallel between Noach and
Moshe and the lesson Chazal wants to teach is in how a leader should respond to
a threat on others.
Both Noach and Moshe live at a critical point in human
history. Noach is told that humanity will be destroyed in a flood that will
last 40 days and he will be the one to continue the legacy of humanity. Moshe
has a similar encounter. After the Jews sin with the Golden Calf, Hashem tells
him that he wishes to destroy the Jews and start again with Moshe and his
children. Moshe, however, spends the next 40 days – same amount of time
as the flood – pleading for mercy, which Hashem finally grants. I don’t think it
is a coincidence that Chazal chose to place the reference to Moshe in the story
of Noach. Both are offered to continue the existence of humanity – or the Jews
– but they respond in very different ways.
Noach responds by answering those who ask, but there is no
intervention on the people’s behalf. Rashi explains that Noach took 120 years
to make the Teiva so that he would have time to convince the masses that a
flood would come. Noach, however, does not question God’s plan and builds the
arch silently. The result is that the entire world population becomes extinct.
Moshe on the other hand has a very different narrative. Moshe
just shattered the first set of tablets and Hashem is furious at the creation
of the calf. He offers Moshe to destroy the Jews and create a new nation from
Moshe.
This is where we have our famous layning on fasts
days:
וַיְחַ֣ל
מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶת־פְּנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לָמָ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ יֶחֱרֶ֤ה
אַפְּךָ֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵ֙אתָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּכֹ֥חַ גָּד֖וֹל
וּבְיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃
He invokes the forefathers and argues for the salvation of
the Jewish people. He finally finishes with the climax of:
מְחֵ֣נִי נָ֔א מִֽסִּפְרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּתָֽבְתָּ
He refuses to sit around and let the Jews be destroyed. He
throws everything he has to prevent the catastrophe. If he isn’t answered he
doesn’t want to be the one saved. He throws down the gauntlet and tells Hashem
it is all or none.
The two narratives are wildly different, yet the final
question is why use the phrase of בשגם הוא בשר to hint to Moshe by Noach?
I think Chazal is telling us that Moshe is just like all of
us. He was human as well. So was Noach and so are all of us. The difference is
in the choices we make. Both Noach and Moshe faced the same choice – stand
against God’s will to protect the people around them or just “let it happen”.
Noach chose the safe route – just do what I’m told. Moshe took the chance and
challenged God’s will.
The question chazal pose to us is will be stand up for those
who’ve made mistakes and defend them or
will we just let the natural course of events take place. Will we take an
active role and changing the world around us, or will we just let it find the
right path on it’s own – hopefully before it’s too late.
Find something or someone this week you care about who can
benefit from your involvement and take the initiative. I would tell those still
in school, if you see someone being bullied – this is your chance. Be like Moshe and fight for the change you
feel should exist and avoid being like Noach and letting nature take it’s
course.
“There are people that daven with their mouths and there are
people that pray with their feet” Heschel.